Scott and I were eating on the Square on September 20, 2014. I was enjoying
my brunch but was lamenting the lack of vegetables. The idea occurred to me
that a restaurant, called "Veggies and Such" should exist - supplying
free vegetables to anyone who ordered an entree.
I quickly acknowledged the drawbacks to such an idea but felt I was onto
something else. The idea to start a restaurant with a limited menu of things
that I knew how to make sounded right. My mom and grandma are amazing cooks.
I've learned many of the family Italian favorites. I knew nothing about
starting a restaurant but this notion sounded good. The idea stayed with me for
the next few hours and morphed again.
What about an Italian restaurant like the "Spaghetti Clubs" in
North Hill? Simple food, small menu. There's a reason they've lasted for over
20 years.
On the way to my mom's house I began to think of what the restaurant would
be called...Mary's Italian Restaurant? The Italian Club?...No, not sounding
right. Then I remembered having to answer the phone at Grandma's. Simply,
"Hello, Mary's". And that sounded perfect.
Mary's restaurant idea continued to unfold during the remainder of the day.
My brother, Kevin, was home completing last minute wedding details for the
following weekend. While snacking over some salads I shared the Idea with mom
and Kevin. I wanted to draft a menu. Within thirty minutes the three of us were
laughing over memories and interrupting each other with dishes to add.
Initially we started talking about Pasta, but then Kevin said, no
"Ronies". Grandma always called them that. All the different shapes
and sizes of ronies in Grandma's kitchen have a special place. Home-made ronies
at Easter. Thin spaghetti, not angle-hair, ronies on Christmas Eve for Macaroni
Olio. "Radiators" and "Sewer Pipes", shaped-ronies for
dinner at Grandma's. Oh how we loved them.
I loved reading this. I like thinking about keeping grandma, our beloved 94-year-old Grandma Mary, alive by recreating the foods that she cooked for us. I haven't heard penne called 'sewer pipes' since I was 8. But right away, I am transported back in time to grandma's kitchen, smelling those familiar smells, feeling loved.
ReplyDeleteI think we will look back on that day with fondness Jenny. it sounds like we have the food options nailed to solid ground. Maybe down the line we can scout locations and workout and business strategies, but that comes much later. I think it will be great to answer the phone there and say "Hello Mary's?"
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